The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-10
FUNNIEST OF FAMILIES.
All Chronic Laughers from the Old
Folks Down to the Babies.

All Chronic GauGhorS from Inc OlO
Folks Down to the Babies.
Writing from New York q correspondent Of
the Pittsburg Dispatch makes record of Jersey
oddly thus:
Jerseys laughing family reside in large,
substantial house not far from the Delaware
river in Hunterdon county. The father and
sons are farmers and prosperous and well-to-do.
The entire family are chronic laughers, having
an affection of the muscles of the mouth and
throat that compels them to give vent to APP
parent merriment at stated intervals. The
malady first appeared in the father about
dozen years ago. He was seated at the dinner
table one day in the spring of the year eating
steadily and not engaging in any OF the CONVEX
sation. Suddenly, without any cause, he burst
into loud fit of laughter so extremely different
from his accustomed laugh that all were at
tracted by it at once. Peal after peal OF what
sounded like the heartieSt kind of fun came
from him, and nothing would avail to prevent
it. The father continued laughing until about
shutdown, when he suddenly stopped and fell on
the floor, completely Frustrated. 1t continued,
recurring each day shortly after noon and in the
night about O'Clock, and has ever since.
The trouble was very regular in It's coming
looked-for seasons Once the old man was
taken in church, just when the minister was ex-
horting his hearers in the most solemn strains,
and spoiled the effect of the discourse beside
disturbing the equilibrium of the clergyman.
Another time be was found by one of the neigh
bOrs along the road, lying beneath bag of
flour, laughing at terrific rate He has been ta-
ken while driving home from the mill, and the
Suddenness of the sounds frightened the horse,
causing it to run away and dump the man and
part of his load out in the road. For eighteen
months the father was the only one of the
household afflicted with the malady. Several of
them had complained from time to time of an
inclination to Join the father in the laugh, but
none of them did so until nearly two years after
he was taken, when Susie the youngest child
suddenly burst into a similar fit during one OF
her fathers attacks.
From that time on she has laughed at about
the same hours her father does. One by one the
remaining members fell victims to the strange
complaint until two years ago there was but one
left free, and that Yves Charles, the eldest son.
His long exemption led him 10 believe he would
escape the malady. But he mistaken, and
it is said he had his first attack while proposing
for the hand of a girl at Wilkesbarre, Pa. So
frightened was the maiden by Charles queer
behavior that she ran from the room, and it
was weeks before the proper explanation could
induce her to see him again. She is now one of
the family, and escaping the malady, never
minds the hideous chorus of laughter which
twice day resoundS through the house.
Several grandchildren have been born, and in
all but one instance they were taken soon after
birth with stated attacks at the same hour as
the ir parents. OF course they do not laugh as
the older ones do, but they crow and express all
the signs of baby glee twice day, and never
cry while in that state. If the disease con
tinues in the new generation the laughing family
may ultimately become a laughing village.